Dreamforce 2017: Can’t-Miss Tech for Event Pros

Dreamforce, one of the biggest tech events of the year, is officially underway today in San Francisco. This year’s Salesforce-hosted event is expected to include over 2,700 sessions designed to provide value to professionals in almost every industry, and over 170,000 people are anticipated to be in attendance. The main event, parties, concerts, break-outs and more make for a super busy week. But if you’re an event pro, there are quite a few companies you should see who have great tech that works for many of the components of event organizing and marketing.

The place to be for hot tech is in the Customer Success Expo. Hundreds of innovative products and services and active demos are on display. If you’re the type who needs a bit of insight into what to see, The Meeting Pool is here to help you figure out which ones will speak to you. We’ve identified a few options that we know are particularly useful to event professionals and have offerings that are definitely worth checking out.

See you on the Dreamforce Expo floor!

If you’re looking for real-time, unbiased user reviews designed to help you objectively assess business products, G2 Crowd has you covered. Intended to help make purchase decisions easier, the platform leverages authenticated, independent reviews to bring additional transparency to the B2B buying space, providing access to powerful insights selected to give you extra confidence when you make a purchase. Check out their reviews of event management platforms and event mobile apps to start.

If you’ve come to the TECHknowledge Area at IMEX or had a Meeting Pool TECHbar at your event then you’re no stranger to Prezi. We use the app to do hundreds of presentations a year to thousands of participants all over the globe and get asked almost every session what we’re using to present. It leaves a great impression and is easy to share. The team at Prezi is showcasing Prezi Next, their latest innovation in dynamic presentations featuring their famed flexible format. If you dread flipping through slides and want the power to adjust your presentation on the fly based on your audience, Prezi gives you the ability to facilitate an engaging conversation designed to meet the communication and presenting needs of today.

Cisco has long been a big name in the tech industry, and their virtual conference options provide a great mix of flexibility and capability, making it a strong solution for event professionals who want to offer opportunities beyond in-person attendance. Their collaboration and conference solutions are a must-review if you’re looking for new hardware and software for your venue or conference center.

For those who are looking for event applications that use the Salesforce platform, Fonteva creates customizable solutions designed to help you manage everything from attendee RSVPs to multi-day conferences without having to leave Salesforce. They can include features such as microsite publishing, secure payment processing, and custom registration forms to ensure you have all of your bases covered in a single application.

Attendee feedback is incredibly valuable in the event space, and GetFeedback can help you craft stunning branded customer surveys designed to integrate with Salesforce. The mobile-friendly feedback forms make it easy for anyone to participate and the data can be used to trigger workflows intended to improve your relationships with attendees.

Glance gives you the power to share information with ease thanks to its innovative cobrowse and screen sharing options. You can even take advantage of Agent Video, a solution designed to provide one-way video so you can connect with attendees without them having to share video, if they don’t desire.

If you’re looking for a way to communicate with attendees on the event site without the feel of spam, Intercoms unique messaging service is worth exploring. It’s becoming a standard for BtoB chat on websites and is an easy way to answer questions and work leads. Real conversations forge stronger relationships, making it a smart business choice.

With data visualization being such a hot topic, finding a platform that makes it easy is essential. Lucidchart creates beautiful diagrams and other visuals using a cloud-based system that supports real-time collaboration, all in a highly intuitive design that is sure to please.

Touted as the “world’s leading sales enablement platform,” Showpad makes it easy to discover and share valuable content to enhance any sales-oriented conversation. The visuals are presentable on any device, making them as ideal for office-based presentations as those held on the road courtesy of mobile devices. You can also track engagement on shared content, giving you valuable insights designed to help you improve your efforts.

Ever had to walk someone through registration online? As easy as the process may seem, there are always those who need step-by-step help. If you want to simplify any digital adoption, WalkMe makes using new technology or a new website or system, easier through their comprehensive training solutions designed to save time and resources while helping people familiarize themselves with new systems in an engaging way.

Proposals for exhibitors, speakers and sponsors can be a lot to manage. For those looking for a way to increase transactions speeds, PandaDoc provides a mechanism for document automation designed to shorten sales cycles and eliminate busy work. You can send important information, like proposals and quotes, in mere minutes, allowing you to streamline your operations for maximum efficiency.

Jifflenow is well-known to the event space with their many appointment solutions for the industry. They allow you to make the way you schedule B2B meetings at events a breeze, eliminating manual methods like spreadsheets from your day-to-day. The Salesforce integration means you can schedule meetings without having to leave the platform, making data flow seamless and reports building intuitive too.

Chatbots are all the rage, and Wizu offers a conversational UI designed to provide a personalized experience for feedback retrieval. The interface is engaging and intuitive, making it easier for your attendees to give you their honest appraisal of their experience. Plus, you get access to powerful reports and metrics, letting you use the information to improve your business.

This is just a sample of what Dreamforce has to offer, so take advantage of one of the largest tech events in the world and see what is available to help your business.

And… if you’d like to stop by The Meeting Pool while you’re in town, let us know! We’d love to talk event tech with you or your team.

Catherine Reed

Catherine is a content creator, article writer, and web copy specialist who has translated her professional and educational experience into a full-time writing career spanning categories as diverse as technology, education, finance, and staffing. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and has nine years of experience working specifically in the mobile device field.